Dunn County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, in the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 45,440 at the 2020 census and covers 864 square miles (2,240 km2) centred near 44°57′N 91°54′W.
Menomonie is the county seat, and its postal code is 54751. Dunn County includes one city, seven villages and 22 towns, plus three census-designated places and numerous unincorporated communities. The county sits in the Central time zone, and its FIPS code is 55033.
Towns & Villages in Dunn County
Dunn County has one incorporated city (the county seat), seven incorporated villages, 22 civil towns, three census-designated places (CDPs, unincorporated but Census-Bureau-tracked) and a scatter of smaller unincorporated communities. The table below lists every named place carried forward from county records, with population figures shown only where verified.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menomonie | City · seat | Town of Menomonie | — | 54751 |
| Boyceville | Village | — | — | 54725 |
| Colfax | Village | Town of Colfax | — | 54730 |
| Downing | Village | — | — | 54734 |
| Elk Mound | Village | Town of Elk Mound | — | 54739 |
| Knapp | Village | — | — | 54749 |
| Ridgeland | Village | — | — | 54763 |
| Wheeler | Village | — | — | 54772 |
| Downsville | CDP | — | — | 54735 |
| Rock Falls | CDP | — | — | 54764 |
| Tainter Lake | CDP | Town of Tainter | — | — |
| Baxter | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Caryville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Cedar Falls | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Comfort | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Connorsville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Dunnville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Eau Galle | Unincorp. | Town of Eau Galle | — | 54737 |
| Falls City | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hatchville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Irvington | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Menomonie Junction | Unincorp. | Town of Menomonie | — | — |
| Meridean | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| North Menomonie | Unincorp. | Town of Menomonie | — | — |
| Norton | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Red Cedar | Unincorp. | Town of Red Cedar | — | — |
| Rusk | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sand Creek | Unincorp. | Town of Sand Creek | — | 54765 |
| Weston | Unincorp. | Town of Weston | — | — |
Several small communities on this list, including Baxter, Meridean and Norton, are crossroads or former mill-era settlements without a modern civic government; they are included because they still appear on county and postal records. No two places in Dunn County share a name with a neighboring county’s community, so there are no confusable pairs to resolve here.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Menomonie | — | Menomonie Junction, North Menomonie |
| Colfax | — | Colfax village |
| Elk Mound | — | Elk Mound village |
| Eau Galle | — | Eau Galle |
| Red Cedar | — | Red Cedar |
| Sand Creek | — | Sand Creek |
| Tainter | — | Tainter Lake |
| Weston | — | Weston |
| Dunn | — | — |
| Grant | — | — |
| Hay River | — | — |
| Lucas | — | — |
| New Haven | — | — |
| Otter Creek | — | — |
| Peru | — | — |
| Rock Creek | — | — |
| Sheridan | — | — |
| Sherman | — | — |
| Spring Brook | — | — |
| Stanton | — | — |
| Tiffany | — | — |
| Wilson | — | — |
Dunn County has 22 civil towns in total. Population figures by township were not independently verified for this update, so populations are shown as unavailable rather than estimated; the county-wide 2020 figure of 45,440 above is the confirmed source.
ZIP Codes
- 54751 — Menomonie (also serves Menomonie Junction and North Menomonie)
- 54730 — Colfax
- 54739 — Elk Mound
- 54725 — Boyceville
- 54749 — Knapp
- 54772 — Wheeler
- 54763 — Ridgeland
- 54734 — Downing
- 54737 — Eau Galle
- 54735 — Downsville (PO Box delivery only)
- 54765 — Sand Creek (PO Box delivery only)
- 54764 — Rock Falls (PO Box delivery only)
Baxter, Caryville, Cedar Falls, Comfort, Connorsville, Dunnville, Falls City, Hatchville, Irvington, Meridean, Norton, Red Cedar, Rusk, Tainter Lake and Weston have no ZIP code of their own; mail for these places is handled through the nearest post office town listed above.
Geography
Dunn County lies on the western edge of Wisconsin’s driftless-adjacent uplands, a landscape of rolling farmland cut by wooded river valleys. The Red Cedar River runs south through the county and widens into Lake Menomin, a reservoir behind a dam at Menomonie; the Eau Galle River and Hay River are its principal tributaries. Farmland and woodlots cover most of the 850 square miles of land area, with the remaining 14 square miles in lakes and streams.
Dunn County borders Barron County to the north, Chippewa County to the east, Eau Claire County to the southeast, Pepin County to the south, Pierce County to the southwest, St. Croix County to the west and Polk County to the northwest.
Demographics
Dunn County’s population was 45,440 at the 2020 census, giving a density of roughly 53 people per square mile of land area. Menomonie, the county seat, is by far the largest community; Colfax and Elk Mound are the largest of the county’s seven villages. Median household income in Dunn County runs below the Wisconsin median of $74,631, a pattern typical of counties that combine dairy and crop farming with a college-town economy.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, especially dairy and row-crop farming, remains a mainstay of the county’s rural towns. Menomonie’s economy is anchored by the University of Wisconsin–Stout, a public university focused on applied and technical programs that draws students and staff from across the region and supports much of the city’s retail and rental housing. Manufacturing and health care round out the county’s larger employers. Menomonie hosts an annual Menomonie Market Mainstreet farmers market and downtown events through the summer season.
History
Dunn County was created from Chippewa County by the Wisconsin legislature in 1854 and organized in 1857. It is named for Charles Dunn, the first chief justice of the Wisconsin Territory’s supreme court. The county’s 19th-century economy was built on the lumber trade: mills along the Red Cedar and Chippewa rivers floated logs downstream, and the firm Knapp, Stout and Company, headquartered in Menomonie, grew into one of the largest lumber operations in the country before the timber era wound down and farming took its place as the county’s economic base.
Getting There
Interstate 94 crosses the southern part of Dunn County, with an interchange serving Menomonie; U.S. Highway 12 and several state highways connect the county’s villages. Approximate distances from Menomonie:
- Eau Claire — about 20 miles east
- Chippewa Falls — about 25 miles northeast
- Minneapolis–St. Paul — about 65 miles west
- Hudson — about 40 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire; Menomonie also has its own general-aviation Menomonie Municipal Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dunn County, Wisconsin?
It is in west-central Wisconsin, bordering Barron, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, St. Croix and Polk counties.
What is the population of Dunn County?
It had a population of 45,440 at the 2020 census.
How big is Dunn County?
It covers 864 square miles (2,240 km2), including 14 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Dunn County?
Menomonie is the county seat and the county’s only incorporated city.
How many towns and villages are in Dunn County?
The county has one city, seven villages, 22 civil towns, three census-designated places and a number of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Dunn County?
Zip codes include 54751 (Menomonie), 54730 (Colfax), 54739 (Elk Mound), 54725 (Boyceville), 54749 (Knapp), 54772 (Wheeler), 54763 (Ridgeland), 54734 (Downing) and 54737 (Eau Galle), among others.
What university is in Dunn County?
The University of Wisconsin–Stout, a public university in Menomonie, is the county’s best-known institution.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.